The present invention relates generally to improved extracellular matrix materials and, in certain aspects, to physically modified extracellular matrix materials, medical devices prepared therefrom, and uses thereof.
Biomaterials have been used in a variety of medical applications, including joint repair and replacement; periodontal reconstruction; repair or replacement of injured, diseased or malformed bones and tissues; wound healing; and the treatment of burns and diabetic ulcers. Extracellular matrix (ECM) materials, including those derived from submucosa and other tissues, are known tissue graft materials used in these medical applications. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,508, 4,956,178, 5,281,422, 5,372,821, 5,554,389, 6,099,567, and 6,206,931. These materials are typically derived from a variety of biological sources including, for example, small intestine, stomach, the urinary bladder, skin, pericardium, dura mater, fascia, and the like.
Challenges remain in obtaining finished medical products derived from harvested animal ECM materials that possess the necessary physical properties as well as biological performance properties when implanted in patients. Accordingly, there remain needs for improved and alternative biomaterials and medical products, as well as methods for preparing and using them.